P.A.R.C. Mag: In the past, did you have fears as an expectant mother? Explain.
Lisa: "No, I did not have any fears more than any expectant mother had. I had a great first pregnancy followed by another great pregnancy. Never a day of morning sickness and enjoyed looking as sexy as a small, pregnant lady can. I simply wanted healthy babies, not caring what sex it was."
P.A.R.C. Mag: Tell us about the first time you noticed that something different about your child? Where were you and what did you notice?
Lisa: "I noticed my son wasn't speaking much and a lack of eye contact. There was no special event."
P.A.R.C. Mag: When you received his diagnosis how did you and your family deal with the news?
Lisa: "My son was officially diagnosed while visiting his developmental pediatrician when he was 3 years old, already receiving early intervention since 18 months old. I was sad for a little then simply continued onto the next steps for improving his condition. He has moderate Autism so it's really not a big deal to me. This is our normal. Behaviors are only temporary and he continues to progress and develop."
P.A.R.C. Mag: Did you know what autism was at the time or where to begin to get help for your son?
Lisa: "Where I live I didn't actually do much except show up where the doctor's scheduled him to be. As he was approaching a year old the doctors realized he wasn't speaking and the ball started rolling from there. THEY called the specialists and set up all the appointments. The doctors only asked what my availability was then handled everything. I am very fortunate to live where I do. The support, especially in the schools, is superior and many move to my school district to get the services we have. I am in the medical profession so I was familiar with autism and had autistic patients. It's kind of hard not to be familiar in modern times given the high occurrences of it on the population. He has a personal assistant with him wherever he goes, a speech therapist, occupational therapist, special education and mainstream classroom teacher. He has an education team."
P.A.R.C. Mag: How were you able to get your son the help that he needs? Would you say his school or government programs assisted you with his educational needs? Do you feel that you had enough support?
autism: through a mother's eyes
Like many mothers, Lisa was prepared to be a caregiver of her child. She had no idea that her child would have special needs and so goes the story of her being a mother of an autistic son. She has researched over the years and has become more familiar with autism. She has also sought help and resources to ensure that her son has a better quality of life. Through Lisa's experiences, many parents can get a better understanding of this disorder as well gain some insight of how to emotionally deal with their child's behavior and interact with their child positively and appropriately.
Interview By: KC Loesener